A Research and Evidence Strategy for UNDP's New Inclusive Insurance Initiative

Inclusive insurance can play a critical role in protecting households and enterprises against socio-economic, climate, health, and disaster risk events. As a new player in the field, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) needs to first understand the initiatives already under way to develop inclusive insurance products and disseminate knowledge and content.  Therefore, they engaged a SIPA workshop team to develop a research and evidence strategy for inclusive insurance. Students conducted an extensive literature review and interviewed several representative stakeholders and analyzed the gaps between this “supply” and “demand” of research. Four thematic gaps were identified around the research experience, supply of case studies, end-customer prioritization, and private-public collaboration. The SIPA team recommended a new strategic vision for the inclusive insurance workstream of UNDP's Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF). Specifically, they recommended that the IRFF’s knowledge management function should leverage the UNDP’s brand, private-public partnerships, and global reach to increase funding for and establish rigor in projects that address identified gaps.